I was hurt in an accident on the job last year. Can I get reimbursed for my travel expenses to my doctor’s office?

Yes, you can be reimbursed for your travel (and medical) expenses. In order to get reimbursed, you should submit a C-257 form to the compensation carrier and the Compensation Board. (You can download the form directly from the Board’s website by clicking on this sentence.) If you were our client, we could assist you with this process.

Travel Expenses

You are entitled to reimbursement for attending your doctor’s appointments and other treatments you receive, such as physical therapy appointments, and traveling for diagnostic testing such as an MRI, but you do not receive reimbursement for traveling to and from your pharmacy or attending hearings at the Workers’ Compensation Board.

If you drive yourself, or a friend or relative drives you to your appointment, your travel expenses are reimbursable at the approved rate per mile. The carrier will use Google Maps (or a similar search engine) to determine mileage between your home and your doctor’s office. You can print out the results yourself and submit the mileage along with the form. The rate you are paid at varies year to year. By clicking on this sentence you can see the reimbursement rates over several years.

If you travel to a hospital, hospital parking is reimbursed provided you obtain a receipt. If you take public transportation, you can be reimbursed provided you obtain receipts. The MTA now offers digital receipts (even if you are taking access-a-ride) which you can use to get reimbursed.

However, using services such as Uber is not generally allowed as a reimbursable expense. First, you need a doctor’s note stating that your medications prevent you from driving and, medically, public transportation is too far away and would require too many transfers or too much time for your condition. Second, you must prove that you have no access to a motor vehicle.

Medical Expenses

You can also submit medical expenses (with receipts) that are not paid directly by the carrier. Prescription medications, over the counter medications (which your doctor recommends with a note), and bandages, crutches, canes (which your doctor recommends with a note) should be reimbursed by the carrier.

By James Santner, Esq.

If you have questions about a similar situation, feel free to contact us. Consultations are free and there is no fee unless we win.